After being in the news for his gun-related rants, 24-year-old Memphis Grizzlies center Pau Gasol has been suspended.
Local media outlets, including ESPN, reported on Sunday (Feb. 17) that he has been suspended for 25 games to open the 2023-2024 season. Morant sparked controversy last month when he appeared to hold a firearm in a social media broadcast. His explanation that it was a toy gun was not accepted. In March, he was suspended for eight games after he was seen holding a handgun while intoxicated at a club in Denver, Colorado.토토사이트
“I am surprised and dismayed that Morant, who already served an eight-game suspension for similar behavior in March, has once again brandished a firearm on social media,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “I am particularly concerned about the potential for other young people to emulate his behavior. A 25-game suspension is appropriate in these circumstances. I want to make it clear that we will not tolerate reckless and irresponsible behavior with a gun.”
Morant may be an All-Star superstar, but he’s no stranger to gun-related controversy. Getty Images
Morant is banned from all team activities during his suspension. In his explanation, he said, “I’ve had time to reflect. I realized how much hurt I caused. I want to apologize to the NBA, the Memphis Grizzlies, my teammates, and the people of Memphis.” “I promise to be a better person. To all of my sponsors, I promise to be a better brand representative.”
Memphis said it respects the league’s decision to discipline Morant. “Our standards as a league and as a team are clear. We expect every member of our team to abide by them.” Morant, who made his debut in the 2019-2020 season, is already a two-time All-Star. This season, he appeared in 61 games and averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds. “Morant’s five-year, $194 million (24.83 billion won) max contract was set to begin this season,” ESPN reported, adding that “it would have been a super-max (not max) deal if he had been named to the All-NBA team, but because he wasn’t, his earnings were reduced by $39 million (49.9 billion won).